Abolition of the Wicked - Chapter 101

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

#101

“The chances of something going wrong are less than one in ten thousand.”
When it came to Geom U-bin, Jang Man-dok wanted to avoid even that slim possibility.
They relocated to the Underground Cultivation Chamber to ensure no one would disturb them.
Geom U-bin settled into a lotus position, and Jang Man-dok carefully inserted a fine needle into his head.
Before Jang Man-dok began the Breathing Circulation Technique, he leaned his face close to Geom U-bin’s.
―If anything feels wrong at all, you must stop the cultivation immediately.
“Understood.”
Having made his promise, Geom U-bin activated the Dang-ho Heart Method, which affected Seo Seok-san’s martial arts more profoundly than any other technique.
Jang Man-dok stood right beside Geom U-bin, ready to withdraw the needle at any moment.
The danger of the Baihui Acupoint lay in how easily even the smallest mistake could reduce a person to mindlessness.
As Geom U-bin circulated his inner energy, white vapor rose from his head, and soon the needle embedded in the Baihui Acupoint began to tremble slightly.
Jang Man-dok kept his hand hovering barely an inch from the needle, waiting.
The area around the Baihui Acupoint where the needle lay began to swell red.
If blood appeared anywhere in that region, he would have to withdraw the needle without hesitation.
During this bout of Breathing Circulation Technique, the skin that had bulged outward, fortunately, did not bleed.
When Geom U-bin exhaled deeply and nodded, Jang Man-dok quickly removed the needle.
“I think I’ve figured out what the problem is.”
―Do you mean you can cure Seok-san’s hair loss?
“No. For now, I’ve only identified what’s causing the symptoms.”
Understanding the cause is the foundation of solving any problem or treating any ailment.
―All treatment begins with discovering the root cause.
“For the time being, keep this secret from the other disciples when they return.”
―Why?
“Because he might lose hope.”
Geom U-bin had only come to understand how difficult the speech impediment, the forgetfulness, and the hair loss made life for Seo Seok-san through experiencing the search itself.
His younger brother not waking up in the morning wasn’t an immediate inconvenience.
Of course, in time it would become the greatest burden of all.
Geom U-bin devoted most of his time to finding a way to treat the Bloodwind Four Lions’ side effects because he had discovered, for the first time, a path where he could actually help them.
Although he was the eldest brother and the Bloodwind Four Lions were his disciples, they had served as his teacher and parents both.
He, who had always received their care, had finally found an opportunity to give something back.
Day after day, cultivation that wasn’t quite cultivation continued.
Some days strands of hair fell out freely, other days his speech faltered, and still other days he wandered for a double hour searching for the Ink Iron Shackles he held in his hands.
Through it all, he gradually came to understand how the Bloodwind Four Lions’ side effects had developed.
“Seok-san has a Pressure Point obstruction at the Baihui Acupoint, Pyeong-su has complex meridian tangles around the Taiyang Acupoint, Geum-hong’s energy rising from the Yongquan Acupoint in her feet strikes into her Dantian like a hammer, and Man-dok—his issue stems from excessive external martial conditioning. The thickened skin from his external training has spread to his tongue and vocal cords, robbing them of flexibility.”
Jang Man-dok’s expression spoke for him.
―But first, let’s treat the side in your ribs.
Even while searching for a way to treat the Bloodwind Four Lions, Geom U-bin never once skipped his sparring matches with Gong Seong-tak.
In sparring he discovered things that cultivation alone could not teach, and he welcomed the collision of bodies with Gong Seong-tak.
Gong Seong-tak, who had once learned martial arts only for revenge and hated the discipline itself, was now discovering through sparring with Geom U-bin the joy that martial arts could bring.
The Blacksmith Shop work remained his favorite, but if asked what came second, he would answer without hesitation: sparring with Geom U-bin.
As their bouts grew increasingly fierce, today Gong Seong-tak landed a powerful strike to Geom U-bin’s ribs.
It was a blow that startled even Gong Seong-tak himself.
The outcome of fighting at full strength—the only way to have any chance of defeating Geom U-bin.
“It’s fine. I’ve already iced it.”
For an ordinary Murim martial artist, such an impact would have destroyed all internal organs.
“Jang, what do you think? I think I can only identify the causes. No matter how much I rack my brains, I can’t figure out how to treat them. What are your thoughts?”
―I have no ideas at the moment either. Still, the fact that we’ve identified what caused these side effects is itself a tremendous step forward.
“So you’ll keep searching for treatment methods?”
―Of course.
A bright smile spread across Geom U-bin’s face.
In truth, Jang Man-dok harbored one method he’d been considering: using the Bihua Needles that the three had gone to retrieve.
But it was only a possibility, not a certain cure, so for now he kept it to himself.

***

Hwang Jo-gil had liquidated nearly his entire fortune.
He sold every piece of land worth selling, including his tea plantations, and with four hundred thousand silver taels, he hired two hundred fifty-eight assassins from three different organizations.
In the history of Murim, Hwang Jo-gil was likely the first person to employ such a vast number of assassins.
The lord’s faithful steward had tried to dissuade him, but no one could stop Hwang Jo-gil when vengeance had blinded him.
Choryeong-dan, Baekya-hoe, and Hyeol-yeong-mun—the three assassin organizations that would be named if anyone were asked to list ten top mercenary groups in Murim. Their leaders sat together in one room.
“An impossible thing has come to pass. Here we stand, our faces bare to each other.”
Jo Dae-sul, the leader of Choryeong-dan, spoke, and Dang Do-gwang, the master of Hyeol-yeong-mun, picked up the thread.
“For the price of revealing ourselves, the compensation is generous enough. I have no complaint.”
All three were in their early forties, and despite their relatively short history, they shared the distinction of commanding powerful assassin networks.
Seol Jang-guk, the leader of Baekya-hoe, posed a question.
“Have you conducted an investigation into Oseong Jang-won, which we are to strike?”
Jo Dae-sul replied.
“We did conduct an investigation, but the place is somewhat murky. On the surface, it’s a brewery, but these men called the Hangju Oseong appear to be skilled masters of the martial arts, and below them, the overseers seem formidable as well.”
“Even so, employing this many assassins seems excessive.”
The two other men nodded in agreement with Dang Do-gwang’s words. Assassins always prepare for the worst and undertake their tasks accordingly, but even accounting for the worst-case scenario, three assassin organizations would leave nothing of Oseong Jang-won—not even seeds.
While they were exchanging views, Hwang Jo-gil, their client, entered.
It was their first time visiting a client’s residence, but there was no reason to refuse when payment was offered.
“When do you intend to launch the attack on Oseong Jang-won?”
Hwang Jo-gil’s hollow eyes and pallid complexion made him look as though he might die before tomorrow.
“We will deal with the five lords of Oseong Jang-won and their stewards…….”
“Leave not a single one. Don’t leave one wretched cur alive—kill them all.”
Some of them might be ignorant of martial arts, but there was no pang of conscience in slaying them.
“Understood. The remainder of the fee must be paid immediately upon completion of the task.”
“Of course.”
“We will attack in two days’ time.”
“In two days, I’ll be able to see those Oseong Jang-won bastards die with my own eyes. There’s a chance I could kill them myself, isn’t there?”
“You mean you’re coming along?”
“Naturally. Merely hearing news of their deaths won’t satisfy my resentment.”

***

Go Seo-bang stretched languidly and took a walk around the estate to shake off sleep.
It was one of his small responsibilities to notice even the most trivial matters if they had occurred overnight.
Gong Seong-tak was always the first to wake.
Today, as yesterday, the furnace in the Blacksmith Shop had been the first to light.
He’d assumed Gong Seong-tak spent his days making weapons, but agricultural tools actually dominated by an overwhelming margin.
One of the estate workers would carry the tools out to sell, and they would be gone in an instant—they were that popular.
Go Seo-bang greeted Gong Seong-tak and moved his steps toward the front courtyard.
The estate felt unusually desolate without three of the Bloodwind Four Lions present.
Just as his footsteps rounded the corner of a building—
Bang!
The earth shuddered with a tremendous sound.
“What was that?”
The noise clearly came from the direction of the Main Gate. Just as Go Seo-bang was about to rush toward it, he heard Do Pyeong-su’s shout.
“Brother!”
At last, the three had returned.
“Master!”
Go Seo-bang sprinted toward the Main Gate.
He rushed forward with joy, but the three had eyes for someone else.
Yeon Geum-hong, Do Pyeong-su, and Seo Seok-san swept past Go Seo-bang like wind, his arms still spread wide in greeting.
Standing alone with his arms outstretched, Go Seo-bang muttered to himself.
“Of course. I can save my joy for after they’ve met with that person…… though I’d hoped it would be in a different direction.”
The three were heading toward the Underground Cultivation Chamber. They didn’t know that Geom U-bin had already recovered, and that his side effects had fully passed—he was sleeping soundly in his own quarters.
They called out so loudly that anyone should have woken, but Geom U-bin’s sleep was far too deep.
The moment they encountered Geom U-bin stepping into the Back Garden, the three descended upon him like people chasing down a fleeing chicken.
“Brother!”
Do Pyeong-su, his eyes brimming with tears of emotion at this reunion after so long, suddenly checked Geom U-bin’s hair.
“Hm? Your hair has grown quite a bit…….”
It wasn’t thick yet, but there was considerably more than when they’d last seen him.
“Yes, it’s all healed.”
“What! Your speech isn’t stammering anymore!”
“I told you, it’s completely healed.”
“But how? Without the Bihua Needle?”
Geom U-bin explained the principle of balance in martial arts to the three excited people.
“So you’re saying everything was a side effect caused by an imbalance in martial arts?”
At Seo Seok-san’s question, Geom U-bin nodded as emphatically as he could.
“Exactly. That’s why I balanced it using only my own internal power, without the Bihua Needle. And thanks to my enlightenment, my martial arts have even advanced one step further.”
Yeon Geum-hong embraced Geom U-bin, her smile radiant even as tears threatened to spill.
“I knew you were a genius!”
After savoring the moment of joy for some time, Yeon Geum-hong asked a question.
“But when exactly did you recover?”
“About a month ago. By then, the disciples had already left for Bihua Valley, so there was no way to tell you.”
At his words, the three exchanged glances, their expressions suddenly darkening.
“What’s wrong?”
“A month ago… wasn’t that when we were at the Wan Tong Society?”
“That’s right. We were definitely… at the Wan Tong Society then.”
“What? That can’t be. Elder Jang clearly said……”
All three sets of eyes turned toward the same point, and at the end of that gaze stood Jang Man-dok.
“Man-dok, you bastard!”
Seo Seok-san lunged first, with Yeon Geum-hong close behind. Only Do Pyeong-su, still unable to grasp the situation, scratched his head with a bewildered expression.
“What’s going on?”
For deceiving the three of them, Jang Man-dok got off cheaply with just one dark bruise beneath his eye.
After a long time, great laughter echoed through Oseong Jang-won again.
Though they’d gone through unnecessary hardship, with Geom U-bin recovered, all was well in the end.
The four of them gathered in the pavilion by the pond. Three of them drank Oseong Wine while Geom U-bin had tea set before him.
Yeon Geum-hong, Do Pyeong-su, and Seo Seok-san recounted their journey to find the Bihua Needle, embellishing the tale with some exaggeration.
“You say you uprooted all the trees on Gulong Mountain?”
“We left it absolutely barren. At least it made things easier for the farmers living there. And when we climbed down the cliff to catch the queen bee from the fire bees? Those insects were so aggressive we had quite the struggle hanging from the cliff face.”
While they spoke cheerfully, Jang Man-dok could only watch from a distance.
Having monopolized Geom U-bin through deception, he was receiving the punishment that befitted his crime.
The sullen Jang Man-dok eventually couldn’t bear the sting of it and retreated to his room. Not that he regretted deceiving the three of them.
Though painful for now, he had gained memories with Geom U-bin to savor for the rest of his life.
Once in his room, Jang Man-dok’s gaze fell upon his desk.
There, on the desktop, lay the box containing the Bihua Needles the three had retrieved.
Jang Man-dok opened the box’s lid and gazed down at the six needles.
Perhaps these Bihua Needles might become the key to curing the Bloodwind Four Lions’ side effects.
‘Should I stop researching altogether?’
Jang Man-dok began to think seriously about it.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————